Vancouver is under the spell. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, this young Swedish prodigy drafted in 2022, entered the first line with JT Miller and was integrated into the first wave of the power play.
All because of an injury to Brock Boeser.
Rather than be intimidated, Lekkerimäki decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
Two games, one goal.
Simple, effective. And what a goal!
See for yourself:
A sequence where he illustrates why in Vancouver, we already see him as an NHL Sniper.
He takes a surgical shot which leaves the goalkeeper no chance.
A player who has the confidence to shoot from anywhere, and especially score from anywhere.
Not bad for a new guy.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, Kirby Dach, who was acquired in exchange for this famous 13th choice during the same 2022 draft, is struggling to find his place.
With one goal in 17 games this season, the comparison hurts.
Imagine: Lekkerimäki equaled this statistic in two games. Yes, two.
The Canadian could have kept this 13th choice and drafted Lekkerimäki.
They preferred to bet on Dach, believing they would secure a young player who already had experience in the NHL.
A decision which seemed logical at the time but which, in hindsight, is enough to make one cringe.
While Vancouver relishes Lekkerimäki’s explosive potential, Montreal wonders if Dach’s injuries will ultimately erase his potential or if we will finally see the dominant player we had imagined.
This is the difference between a well-developed project, like the one in Vancouver with Lekkerimäki, and a risky bet that is slow to pay off.
So, if we could do the draft again, who would you take in your lineup?
The cold-blooded “sniper” or the center who is still trying to prove himself?
Canucks fans already seem to have found their answer.
Montreal, for its part, can only look at what they could have had and hope that Dach ends up living up to expectations.
Misery …
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